Open Source in Education Conference cancelled
Dear All, I was really looking forward to this, wanted to ask lots of practical questions (how do I go about getting someone to write linux software for an interactive board?) and now I find that it has been cancelled. What is more, there doesn't seem to be any reaction to this on this list. Am I missing something? -- Nigel Pauli Network Manager St. John's School, Northwood
On Friday 03 October 2003 23:10, N.Pauli wrote:
Dear All,
I was really looking forward to this, wanted to ask lots of practical questions (how do I go about getting someone to write linux software for an interactive board?) and now I find that it has been cancelled. What is more, there doesn't seem to be any reaction to this on this list.
I would just like to make some observations concerning this conference. Firstly the amount of notice about it was very short which does not help teachers in planning. Secondly it was planned in term-time which causes two problems: 1/ We are in a very small minority and in some cases totally misunderstood by SMT - why should they give us time off school? 2/ Money is so short at our school that all external Inset and conferences are prohibited, and I am sure that this is similar to other schools. We are interested in free software, I believe that any such conference should be as free to the participants as possible and planned when most of the expected audience will be available. We should not be using high profile, expensive venues. Most of us work in large buildings which become free at regular intervals throughout the year, should we not be investigating this further? On a personal note now. There are not many institutions in the UK that are actually teaching ICT throughout the school using open source tools. These are listed on certain websites as case studies, as is my school. I wonder if any of them were consulted about or personally invited to this conference - I know I wasn't. I am very concerned about this cancellation though and I think we all should be. kind regards garry saddington ICT co-ordinator, Skegness Grammar School
On Sat, 2003-10-04 at 11:24, garry saddington wrote:
On Friday 03 October 2003 23:10, N.Pauli wrote:
Dear All,
I was really looking forward to this, wanted to ask lots of practical questions (how do I go about getting someone to write linux software for an interactive board?) and now I find that it has been cancelled. What is more, there doesn't seem to be any reaction to this on this list.
I would just like to make some observations concerning this conference. Firstly the amount of notice about it was very short which does not help teachers in planning. Secondly it was planned in term-time which causes two problems: 1/ We are in a very small minority and in some cases totally misunderstood by SMT - why should they give us time off school? 2/ Money is so short at our school that all external Inset and conferences are prohibited, and I am sure that this is similar to other schools.
Except all schools get funded for INSET specifically. Just depends on what INSET is a priority.
We are interested in free software, I believe that any such conference should be as free to the participants as possible and planned when most of the expected audience will be available.
Agreed, but if you expect someone to take the risk in the outlay you have also to let them also have scope to make something out of it or at least cover their costs. Free software is more to do with freedom in licensing than it is to free in money terms. Suse, Mandrake, and Redhat all have to make money to be viable. If Free software is to flourish it has to have commercial backing and commercial business models built on it. As long as the licensing is free that is what matters.
We should not be using high profile, expensive venues. Most of us work in large buildings which become free at regular intervals throughout the year, should we not be investigating this further?
Yes and no. The image of free software being down market back of a fag packet stuff is not helpful if we want to capture the imagination of the SMT. I think there are arguments both ways on this.
On a personal note now. There are not many institutions in the UK that are actually teaching ICT throughout the school using open source tools. These are listed on certain websites as case studies, as is my school. I wonder if any of them were consulted about or personally invited to this conference - I know I wasn't.
Thing is how does anyone know to look at which web sites and which case studies. There was a meeting to set up Schoolforge UK and in those discussions, suitable examples were chosen of sites known to those taking part. I'd urge any school that is serious about FLOSS to have at least one teacher become a member of Schoolforge UK and perhaps the AFFS. AFFS costs £10 a year Schoolforge is free just log onto the Wiki and join.
I am very concerned about this cancellation though and I think we all should be.
I'm not too concerned simply because the earlier conference was quite
well attended and as pointed out this one was not at the best time.
Summer holidays are a killer. I would propose say late February now and
everyone do as much as possible to get people there. If no-one else is
prepared to organise it, I will, but I will have to cover costs so it
will cost to attend.
--
ian
On Saturday 04 October 2003 11:36, ian wrote:
On Sat, 2003-10-04 at 11:24, garry saddington wrote:
On Friday 03 October 2003 23:10, N.Pauli wrote:
Dear All,
I was really looking forward to this, wanted to ask lots of practical questions (how do I go about getting someone to write linux software for an interactive board?) and now I find that it has been cancelled. What is more, there doesn't seem to be any reaction to this on this list.
I would just like to make some observations concerning this conference. Firstly the amount of notice about it was very short which does not help teachers in planning. Secondly it was planned in term-time which causes two problems: 1/ We are in a very small minority and in some cases totally misunderstood by SMT - why should they give us time off school? 2/ Money is so short at our school that all external Inset and conferences are prohibited, and I am sure that this is similar to other schools.
Except all schools get funded for INSET specifically. Just depends on what INSET is a priority.
My point entirely, we are not seen as high enough priority for INSET funds, if there is any at all and what I said was that there are none in my school.
We are interested in free software, I believe that any such conference should be as free to the participants as possible and planned when most of the expected audience will be available.
Agreed, but if you expect someone to take the risk in the outlay you have also to let them also have scope to make something out of it or at least cover their costs. Free software is more to do with freedom in licensing than it is to free in money terms. Suse, Mandrake, and Redhat all have to make money to be viable. If Free software is to flourish it has to have commercial backing and commercial business models built on it. As long as the licensing is free that is what matters.
We should not be using high profile, expensive venues. Most of us work in large buildings which become free at regular intervals throughout the year, should we not be investigating this further?
Yes and no. The image of free software being down market back of a fag packet stuff is not helpful if we want to capture the imagination of the SMT. I think there are arguments both ways on this.
What I was trying to suggest is why can't we organise one of these things ourselves. We could give it just as high a profile but keep the costs down.
On a personal note now. There are not many institutions in the UK that are actually teaching ICT throughout the school using open source tools. These are listed on certain websites as case studies, as is my school. I wonder if any of them were consulted about or personally invited to this conference - I know I wasn't.
Thing is how does anyone know to look at which web sites and which case studies. There was a meeting to set up Schoolforge UK and in those discussions, suitable examples were chosen of sites known to those taking part. I'd urge any school that is serious about FLOSS to have at least one teacher become a member of Schoolforge UK and perhaps the AFFS. AFFS costs £10 a year Schoolforge is free just log onto the Wiki and join.
I am a member of Schoolforge UK and my case study is on the site as well as on Seul.org/edu.
I am very concerned about this cancellation though and I think we all should be.
I'm not too concerned simply because the earlier conference was quite well attended and as pointed out this one was not at the best time. Summer holidays are a killer. I would propose say late February now and everyone do as much as possible to get people there. If no-one else is prepared to organise it, I will, but I will have to cover costs so it will cost to attend.
Make it February half term and I, as well as other teachers may be able to attend.
-- ian
On 2003-10-04 13:27:36 +0100 garry saddington
Make it February half term and I, as well as other teachers may be able to attend.
Is there a cross-country list of Feb half-term dates? Do they coincide? (ISTR that one of the half-terms used to "move about" around the country.) -- MJR/slef My Opinion Only and possibly not of any group I know. http://mjr.towers.org.uk/ gopher://g.towers.org.uk/ slef@jabber.at Creative copyleft computing services via http://www.ttllp.co.uk/
On Fri, 2003-10-03 at 23:08, N.Pauli wrote:
Dear All,
I was really looking forward to this, wanted to ask lots of practical questions (how do I go about getting someone to write linux software for an interactive board?)
1. Pay them to do it. 2. Convince them its in their interest to do it - eg sell more boards, because they want FLOSS to work etc. For 1. You might have to raise some funds - that's one of the reasons I have set up theINGOTs.org assessment scheme. If you want to get development money into FLOSS get your school doing INGOTs. Snag is I already have many potential projects to fund and at the moment INGOTs has a lot of interest but not a lot of revenue - probably be a year or two lead in.
and now I find that it has been cancelled. What is more, there doesn't seem to be any reaction to this on this list.
Depends on how high a priority it is. To me the highest priority is to cover the requirements of the NC. You don't need an IWB to do that, but you do need a simple Database. So my first priority is to get OO.o a database that stands up well against MS Access.
Am I missing something?
Just that to many people on this list it probably doesn't have the same
priority as it does to you.
--
ian
On Sat, Oct 04, 2003 at 11:20:33AM +0100, ian wrote:
On Fri, 2003-10-03 at 23:08, N.Pauli wrote:
and now I find that it has been cancelled. What is more, there doesn't seem to be any reaction to this on this list.
Depends on how high a priority it is. To me the highest priority is to cover the requirements of the NC. You don't need an IWB to do that, but you do need a simple Database. So my first priority is to get OO.o a database that stands up well against MS Access.
Even nicer if it can read MS Access files, which makes migration a lot easier. -- Mark Evans St. Peter's CofE High School Phone: +44 1392 204764 X109 Fax: +44 1392 204763
On Fri, 2003-10-03 at 23:08, N.Pauli wrote:
Dear All,
I was really looking forward to this, wanted to ask lots of practical questions (how do I go about getting someone to write linux software for an interactive board?) and now I find that it has been cancelled. What is more, there doesn't seem to be any reaction to this on this list.
Am I missing something?
Whoops, cancel last message. I took the bit about the Interactive
Whiteboard in isolation!
I'm thinking of organising an OSIE conference as talking to APU its on
permanent hold from their point of view. I have a deadline for some
work, and once that is out of the way I'll give it some serious thought.
Perhaps it could be a collaborative effort with say AFFS and Schoolforge
UK.
--
ian
participants (5)
-
garry saddington -
ian -
Mark Evans -
MJ Ray -
N.Pauli